ACON Annual Report 01/02

CONTENTS Table of Contents Messages from the President and CEO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Organisational Structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 ACON – the 2001-02 year in review. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Developing our capacity Sydney, Positive Living Centre (PLC), Western Sydney . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Illawarra, Northern Rivers and Tweed Valley Outreach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Hunter, Mid North Coast Outreach and Central Coast Outreach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Strengthening our communities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Fun & Esteem, Mature Aged Gays (MAG) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Same Sex Attracted Young Women Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Sex Workers’ Outreach Project (SWOP), Asian Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Improving our communities’ health HIV Living, HIV Women’s Services and Health Promotion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Gay Men’s Health, Lesbian Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Improving services to individuals Treatments and Vitamins, Housing Project. . . . . . . . . .

Community Support Network (CSN) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Counselling, Enhanced Care Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Family Support, Injecting and Other Drug Use Project

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Strengthening our advocacy ACON Advocacy, Lesbian and Gay Anti-Violence Project (AVP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 AIDS Awareness, HIV Visibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Strengthening our partnerships Sharing Knowledge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Community Support and Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Partners, Sponsors and Supporters Staff and Volunteers . . . . . . . . . . .

Expenditure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Treasurer’s Report . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Members of the Board Report . . . .

Financial Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Acknowledgment and Credit The Board and management of ACON would like to acknowledge and thank the staff and volunteers of our organisation for their commitment and dedication, and for the wonderful work they continue to do for our clients and communities. We would also like to acknowledge the contribution of staff who left during the course of the year.

Design: Adrian Mudrazija Printers: Bloxham and Chambers Photography: Kent Gryphon, Jamie Dunbar, Matthew Hua, Cameron Muir and ACON staff

ACON Annual Report 2002

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OURVISION Our Vision •

The right of all HIV positive men and women to claim the best quality of life that’s individually attainable and to have their strengths, achievements and their needs recognised

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The sexual health and rights of every member of our communities to be recognised, regardless of sero-status

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The lesbian and gay community to understand and take responsibility for its mental and physical health

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A society which respects the basic link between health and justice

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ACON Annual Report 2002

ACONACON President’s Message

CEO’s Message

In what has been a difficult year for community organisations, I hope that ACON has demonstrated we can successfully build on our strengths as an AIDS Council in ways that improve our work in HIV/AIDS as well as promoting our communities’ broader health.

ACON is a vibrant, bold, and innovative communityowned health organisation. Together we have much to be proud of. ACON has strong relationships with our communities, pragmatic and honest relationships with government, and a constant media presence on the issues that matter to us. None of our work over the last year would have been possible without our outstanding staff, our partners, an energetic Board, a committed membership, or our tireless band of volunteers. The relentless passion of all of these people – and the leadership of our CEO, Stevie Clayton – amazes me every day. Thanks for being part of our work this year.

HIV/AIDS has been ever present in the last year, in services, in policy work and in the media. Although HIV infections in NSW have not risen, increases in new infections elsewhere have prompted us to more closely analyse surveillance and behavioural data and to critically examine our own work. We don’t want to wait for an increase in new infections in NSW and then respond. We want to remain at the forefront of HIV prevention by providing the best possible services and programs to ensure that an increase in new infections does not occur in NSW. Over the last year we have continued to talk honestly with gay men about their choices, even when the messages are by necessity complex, and the broader sexual health of these gay men has become a larger part of our work. We have reinvigorated our work with positive men and women, with new resources like Healthy Life, and innovative programs like our ‘Street Jungle’ community gardens. Our services to individual clients have improved through the introduction of a structured intake and assessment process and with programs like Enhanced Care we work with GPs to improve coordination of health services for our clients, positive and negative.

This year the Positive Living Centre (PLC) became a project of ACON in conjunction with a coalition of community partners and the range of programs and number of people accessing the centre have steadily increased. At the same time, we’ve started mapping out a lesbian health agenda and built strong partnerships with other groups like the Lesbian Health Interagency Network (LHIN) and the Australian Lesbian Medical Association (ALMA). The Lesbian and Gay Anti-Violence Project is now well established at ACON, with many new campaigns over the last year putting homophobic violence back on the agenda.

We’ve worked hard to improve services to people living outside of inner-city Sydney both through the statewide services operating from Sydney, and those delivered through our regional branches, particularly in the Illawarra and in Greater Western Sydney. Finally, I would like to say thank you to the staff and volunteers at ACON who worked so hard all year to deliver all of our programs and services, and who are firmly committed to continuous quality improvement.

Adrian Lovney

Stevie Clayton

Over the last year we have again focussed on the continuous improvement of our HIV services whilst gradually expanding our focus to encompass other health issues of importance to our communities.

We’ve advocated on issues like HIV treatments, sex worker issues, government budgets, housing funding and police use of sniffer dogs. We’ve spent the last year developing our Drug Strategy to guide our response – over the next three years – to one of the most serious long-term health issues facing our communities. At the same time, we have become acutely aware this year of our obligation to play a role in supporting other community-based organisations and helping to build broader coalitions.

Although it saddens me that it was necessary, I was pleased that ACON was able to support a community response to the demise of Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras Ltd. The history of ACON – like the history of our communities – has always been intertwined with Mardi Gras. The loss of the Mardi Gras season would have had an enormous impact on our work and on our communities. BGF and PLWHA (NSW) alone raised hundreds of thousands of dollars during last year’s Mardi Gras season to support positive people in NSW. I’m proud that ACON worked with the Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby, QueerScreen and Pride to ensure that Mardi Gras stayed in community hands.

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ACONACON ACON Organisational Chart ACON Board

Stevie Clayton CEO

Stephen Gallagher Policy Officer

Alanna Somers Executive Assistant

Cindy Jones Media Manager

Darrell Williams Director Regional Services

Brent Allan Director Community Health

Education

• Same Sex Attracted Youth Project with FPA Health

• Gay Education Project • Lesbian & Gay Anti-Violence Project • Injecting and Other Drug Use Project

• Community Support Network • Treatments • Learning Centre • Front of House Services • Vitamins Service

Health Promotion

Sex Workers’ Outreach Project (SWOP)

• Street Jungle • Men’s HIV Peer Support • Men’s HIV & Health Promotion • Women’s HIV Peer Support • Women’s HIV & Health Promotion • Lesbian Health Project

Community Development • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Project • Asian Project • Fun and Esteem • Mature Aged Gays (MAG) • Health in Difference 4

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Quality Improvement Finance

Clinical Services Promotions

• Tweed Valley Outreach

• Central Coast Outreach • Mid North Coast Outreach

Human Resources

Building and IT

Northern Rivers Branch

Hunter Branch

Denise Hanlon Director Organisational Development

Care Services

Illawarra Branch Western Sydney Branch

Alan Brotherton Director Client Services

ACON Annual Report 2002

• Enhanced Care Project • Family Support • Counselling Housing Project Positive Living Centre

Events and Fundraising

2001–2002 The Year in Review ACON (AIDS Council of NSW) is a non-government organisation based in the gay and lesbian communities. With our primary funder NSW Health, we provide advocacy, care and support services to members of those communities including Indigenous people, transgender people and injecting drug users, to sex workers and to all people living with HIV/AIDS. 2001-02 has been an important year in shaping the future of our organisation as we broaden our role in gay and lesbian health and improve our HIV and health promotion services. We continue to strive for quality in Senior Management Team: Alan Brotherton, Brent Allan, Darrell Williams all our services including direct care, peer support, community and Denise Hanlon. development, health promotion, information and referral. This year our ongoing program of continuous quality improvement saw a range of standards and indicators of quality identified as we work to achieve accreditation through the Quality Improvement Council.

During the year a new Senior Management Team was appointed to lead the organisation in the final period of Strategic Directions 2000-03. Last year we spent considerable time putting in place the infrastructure for ACON’s new role and in researching and strengthening partnerships for new services. This year we began rolling out new and expanded services for HIV and other key health issues. In the past 12 months we appointed a new team to focus on women’s health, hosted a retreat for HIV positive women, ran a pilot gym program for HIV positive gay men, developed community safety campaigns, expanded our vitamins service, developed workshops for couples in sero-discordant relationships, expanded lesbian health initiatives across the state, ran a new support group for same sex attracted young women and produced a wide range of resources in gay men’s health. These are but a few examples of our innovative work.

ACON was acknowledged with a range of awards this year – Street Jungle received a community gardening award, the Asian Project’s Asian Marching Boys won a Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras award and several of our volunteers and CSN carers were presented with World AIDS Day Awards for their commitment and dedication.

In 2001-02 we have focussed our efforts on community, health and action.

We have strengthened our presence in the community with outreach to a wider area of NSW, improved our community development projects, health promotion and health services, and our advocacy role.

ACON Board Members • Adrian Lovney (President)

• Andrew Grulich

• Rachel Pepper (Vice-President)

• Rita Harding

• Andrew Maiden (Treasurer)

• Robyn Adams

• Ken Irvine

• Margaret Hansford (Secretary)

• Derek Chan • Tess Ziems (Staff Rep)

• Kane Race • Linette Collins • David Buchanan

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COMMUNITY Sydney ACON’s central office in Surry Hills has undergone a transformation during the year with a major refurbishment of the reception areas. Clients are greeted in a warm and professional environment with access to the new Interactive Learning Centre (ILC) where they can read the latest health journals, surf the net and get advice on information gathering or research tips. Renovations also took place on the floor above with the integration of Human Resources, Payroll and Finance relocating into one office for an improved one stop shop for ACON staff. A number of staff took to paint brushes throughout the year to refresh their offices and meeting places which are used by a variety of community organisations.

Positive Living Centre In September ACON was awarded the tender for the Positive Living Centre to help revitalise the centre with our supporting partners of BGF, PLWHA (NSW), PozHets, Darlinghurst Community Health Centre and the Luncheon Club. This was an opportunity to enhance and improve the PLC with the provision of structured programs, events and social activities within a community development and health promotion framework. The PLC was once viewed as simply a drop-in centre but now it's very much a community centre for people who want to build new skills or social networks. Close to 400 people a month are accessing the PLC for regular programs such as massage, meditation, computer training, art classes, cooking classes, treatments advice, counselling, complementary therapies, housing and financial planning, outings and other social events.

Western Sydney In April ACON West moved back out west after spending more than a year based in Surry Hills following the fire that destroyed our Parramatta office. Programs and services were continued with little disruption during that time but our new Western Sydney office in Westmead and the new CSN outpost in Lemongrove (Penrith) will act as an important community centre providing new and improved services. Communities in the Greater Western Sydney area now have better access to staff specialising in gay men’s health, education, community development and lesbian health. ACON West is a central point of call for Community Support Network (CSN) in Western Sydney and the Positive Employment Service (PES) as well as the Corrective Services Inmate Support Project. We work closely with FPA Health on youth support through the Way-Out Young Men’s Sexual Health Program.

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ACON Annual Report 2002

YCOMMUNIT Developing our capacity

Illawarra ACON Illawarra relocated its services to two new sites in April. The temporary move was made while we find more appropriate premises and look at how we can improve our services to better meet the needs of our communities.

The expiry of the old lease was a valuable opportunity to consult with clients, communities and service providers about improving our services and a stakeholder advisory committee was established for this purpose.

Care and support services now work in a shared site with Our Pathways Incorporated (OPI) and our gay and lesbian services continue in a new Resource Centre with the appointment of a gay and lesbian community development officer.

Other projects such as the Lesbian Health Project, Young and Proud, SWOP and the GP Sexual Health Clinic are located in partner services. We expect to relocate to one site before the end of the 2002-03 financial year.

Northern Rivers/ Tweed People living with HIV/AIDS in the Northern Rivers now have greater access to peer support at ACON with new groups established for positive people and their negative partners. Social support groups were also set up for lesbians and ACON has a presence on the newly established HIV Positive Consultative Committee of Northern Rivers Area Health Service. Other highlights of the year include work around advocacy through the anti-discrimination workshops conducted with mainstream service providers and workshops on ‘are all your clients heterosexual?’. Our outreach service to the Tweed Valley was enhanced with the appointment of a gay, lesbian and transgender community development worker and a fixed site to provide services beyond social and peer support networks. Services including counselling and social welfare assistance are now also available for clients in the Tweed.

Hunter and Mid North Coast/Central Coast During the year we developed a Positive Living Program in partnership with Karumah and obtained new premises for the centre with a range of plans to be implemented next year. Services at ACON Hunter were enhanced with the appointment of a lesbian health officer and an HIV gay men’s health promotion officer. Both of these positions work closely with our outreach service in the Mid North Coast. The Mid North Coast service has been involved with the newly established Goori Interagency in Port Macquarie and in May hosted a successful twoday workshop for people working with Indigenous youth. We expanded our outreach services during the year to also cover the Central Coast where we provided social support, education and health promotion services.

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COMMUNITY Fun & Esteem Our Fun & Esteem Project came of age this year celebrating 13 years of providing support for young gay and bisexual men 26 and under. Over the past 13 years thousands of young men have taken part in regular Start Making Sense workshops looking at a range of topics including safe sex, sexuality, coming out, relationships and the gay community. TAG, the Thursday Afternoon Group, for under 20s was established this year to respond to the growing needs of younger gay and bi men who want to get together at a more suitable time. Youth was also a focus during the 2002 Mardi Gras with the Generation Youth Project bringing together more than 100 young people from Fun & Esteem and other youth services for a series of health education workshops, a parade float entry and production of a video.

MAG–Mature Aged Gays MAG celebrated it’s 10th birthday in September.

This popular support group for gay men over 40 is now one of the largest gay organisations in Australia with more than 800 members.

MAG’s fortnightly meetings attract up to 150 people and during the year a weekly social night was added for more informal gettogethers. MAGnet on Wednesday nights at Gingers has attracted a new crowd of regulars for the busy group. During the year MAG members have continued to support others in the community including dinners for people living with HIV/AIDS at the Metropolitan Community Church and Christmas toys for the Paediatric AIDS Ward of the Prince of Wales Children’s Hospital. More than 30 members also found time to take a quick trip to Vietnam and other trips are planned for MAGic – MAG In the Community.

Same Sex Attracted Young Women ACON and Twenty 10 ran a new support group for same sex attracted young women under 21 during the year. The pilot project involved a small group of young women meeting weekly over a two-month period and proved to be a great opportunity for participants to make new friends, get information and support, have fun and be creative in a friendly space. Workshops were developed to address the issues the participants identified as of most concern to them – relationships, culture and sexuality, coming out, community, stereotypes, alcohol and other drug issues, family, mental health, self-esteem, living outside the city and identity. These issue-based discussions led to a number of creative arts-based activities and plans are underway for another support group to be run for same sex attracted young women this coming year.

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ACON Annual Report 2002

YCOMMUNIT Strengthening our communities

SWOP–Sex Workers’ Asian Project ACON’s Asian Project works Outreach Project closely with the Multicultural SWOP provided more than 5,000 occasions of service to sex industry workers during the year, providing health information, support and referral to workers in brothels, private situations, escort agencies, B&D houses and on the streets. SWOP participated in an innovative training program for those working with people with disabilities through a partnership between FPA Health, People With Disabilities, the Spastic Centre, Access Plus and the Spinal Unit of the Royal North Shore Hospital. A new sex workers meeting group, the Sista Act Project, was established through DISC (Drug Intervention Services Cabramatta) and the project produced diaries designed specifically for sex workers and classes in self-defence and jewellery making. SWOP also contributed to the development of a new occupational health and safety information resource for the sex industry produced by WorkCover NSW.

HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis C Service to provide information and support for Asian gay men. The Silkroad support group this year celebrated 10 years of regular meetings and social events. Over the decade more than 5,000 Asian gay men have come to Silkroad for social and peer support.

ACON has begun exploring the need for a new support group for HIV positive Asian men.

Asia Plus, a peer support group for HIV positive men will commence in 2003. In August more than 400 people attended a special event held by the Asian Project and the Lesbian and Gay Anti-Violence Project (AVP) – ‘BLOW’ – in a stand against violence, racism and homophobia. The Asian Project’s very public face, the Asian Marching Boys, took out the Mardi Gras Best Choreography Award for the second year in a row.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Project ACON provides information resources, education and support services for Indigenous people living with HIV/AIDS, gay men, lesbians and sistergirls. As part of the NSW Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Sexual Health Network we work closely with Aboriginal Medical Services and Area Health Services on outreach and health promotion initiatives. During the year we provided monthly support group meetings, social events, one-on-one support and referral and co-ordination of events for NAIDOC week. The Northern Rivers Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Project worker held a series of sexual health workshops and HIV/STI testing campaigns. Along with Indigenous workers from ACON Mid North Coast, we also coordinated cultural awareness in-service training for ACON staff in January. The training day was attended by more than 30 staff and it gave them a greater understanding and awareness on how to deal with Indigenous clients accessing ACON’s various services.

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HEALTHHEAL HIV Living

Positive Men

ACON works to improve the health and wellbeing of people living with HIV/AIDS through a number of health promotion activities.

Our HIV Living team has focussed on providing social and support activities for positive people throughout the year. Planet Positive continues to bring together large numbers of people living with HIV/AIDS at social gatherings. The Positive Living Centre (PLC) is proving to be a popular venue for these social nights. Community gardens through the Street Jungle Project in Waterloo and Newtown have attracted a number of positive people keen to learn new skills and indulge in growing organic fruit and vegetables. In December Street Jungle won second prize in the community section of South Sydney Council’s 2001 gardening competition.

Health and fitness was a focus for HIV positive gay men during the year with the Healthy Life 12-week gym program. Participants in the project reported improvement in their general health and wellbeing after joining the program which addressed exercise, general health and diet. The Positive Men’s Project continues to provide a support base for a number of gay men living with HIV/AIDS through the regular Espresso Yourself coffee meetings and the monthly Breakfast Club for working men. Four Genesis workshops were held during the year, bringing together newly diagnosed gay men over a weekend to discuss a variety of issues and to find support. Our new serodiscordant workshops involve weekly gatherings and are tailored for negative and positive partners in relationships. Serodiscordant workshops were also held at ACON Northern Rivers and in the Mid North Coast.

HIV Women’s Support & Health Promotion In July ACON appointed a new team of health workers devoted solely to the provision of women’s services and support for HIV positive women.

The new team has focussed on developing educational programs and health campaigns targeting women at risk and on the provision of information, education, support and referral services for women living with HIV/AIDS in NSW. A highly successful weekend retreat was held in November with 11 HIV positive women attending from as far away as Canberra to gain a greater insight into the challenges and success of living positively. In June we commenced the new Positive Women’s Health Speaker Series – Activate. The free bi-monthly series will look at a variety of HIV issues for women with a panel of guest speakers.

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ACON Annual Report 2002

LTHHEALTHH Improving our communities’ health

Gay Men’s Health Sexual health and safe sex practices continued to be a focus of our Gay Men’s Education Project this year. Our annual safe sex summer campaign was enormously popular with the release of Get It On in the lead up to Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. The campaign reaffirmed the message of condom use and used innovative resources such as frisbies to get the message out. A second campaign – Top/Bottom – also addressed issues around the information on which some gay men base their risk reduction strategies. We were also called on by NSW Health to quickly develop a campaign on Hepatitis A in early 2002. The slogan, Get It On, continued through the year with an added winter element for posters, cruise cards and safe packs to help re-affirm the message of condom use for gay men. Sex on Premises Venues are a key site for many of our campaigns and this year we worked in collaboration with venues to promote safe sex and minimise the risk of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections with a new Code of Practice. The voluntary Code sets standards on access to condoms and lube, levels of lighting around safe sex information, infection control standards and staff training. A new resource booklet was developed for patrons of sex on premises venues – When You’re Hot You’re Hot – with information about how to use venues safely and this was also the basis for evening workshops.

Lesbian Health Lesbian health workers in all our branches work to address the specific health issues of lesbians with information resources and other support.

The second series of Stir It Up, the Lesbian Health Speaker Series, started in September in Sydney with a series of discussions on Indigenous lesbian health, parenting and alcohol and other drugs. ACON Illawarra also held a Stir It Up speaker series in Wollongong and regional areas. Lesbian needs assessments were conducted in the Illawarra area and ACON Northern Rivers launched the Lemon and Lavender Report which identifies health needs of lesbians in the area. ACON’s Lesbian Health Project and HIV Women’s Support & Health Promotion team worked with the National Centre in HIV Social Research (NCHSR) and the National Centre in HIV Epidemiology and Clinical Research (NCHECR) to conduct the Sydney Women and Sexual Health Survey 2002 (SWASH) during Mardi Gras season. SWASH is an important tool in gathering research around sexual behaviours and associated risks for women regarding sexuality and sexual health. ACON also strengthened its partnership with the Australian Lesbian Medical Association (ALMA) and the Lesbian Health Interagency Network (LHIN) in the development of a number of resources planned for release next year.

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HEALTHHEAL Treatments and Vitamins

Community Support Network (CSN)

ACON provided more than 1100 individual treatments information sessions during the year, offering advice and support on treatment decisions. Our treatments officers gave talks in a range of locations and a successful six month pilot position in the Northern Rivers branch has helped expand our services statewide. A number of fact sheets were produced on issues such as lipodystrophy, diarrhoea and neuropathy.

CSN provides practical home care support and transport services with volunteer carers who are trained to assist people living with HIV/AIDS to live independently. Our team of volunteer carers provided more than 8,500 hours of care during the year with practical support from housework and cooking to shopping, gardening and personal care. More than 50 new carers took part in intensive training weekends to equip them with the right skills to help our clients maintain their independence. The CSN Transport Service ferried a number of clients between medical appointments and worked in collaboration with a range of community transport organisations in the Sydney metropolitan region. CSN has a well earned reputation for the commitment and dedication of its carers and during the year presentations were given to delegations from South Africa, Indonesia and Thailand.

In January we introduced a series of monthly complementary therapy information sessions, featuring qualified therapists discussing a range of therapies from acupuncture to shiatsu. ACON also provides a vitamin and supplement service offering a range of products at cost price to people living with HIV/AIDS. This year, in consultation with clients and our Complementary Therapies Advisory Group, we broadened our range to include more products with a focus on complementary therapies.

Housing Project ACON provides direct support to people with HIV/AIDS to help them gain access to affordable, safe, secure housing with the most appropriate information and advice. We also provide referral and support for clients in need of crisis accommodation. ACON worked with over 700 housing clients during the year - supporting applications for NSW Department of Housing and emergency accommodation, advocating on behalf of tenants experiencing discrimination, assisting people negotiate the housing service maze, providing care coordination across the HIV sector and brokering services to community housing and other service providers. We also managed a number of properties available for people with HIV/AIDS who are homeless and in crisis. During the year we provided short-term crisis accommodation for 22 people and assistance in developing skills to sustain permanent and secure housing. ACON also convened the Accommodation Crisis Group bringing together a range of service providers to help solve issues of homelessness and develop a coordinated response to emerging issues.

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ACON Annual Report 2002

LTHHEALTHH Improving services to individuals

Counselling

Enhanced Care

ACON’s Counselling and Assessment Service offers professional one-on-one counselling and referral for people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS. In the last six months of the year we saw more than 400 clients come through our new intake and assessment process with 260 receiving short-term focussed therapy. The implementation of the intake and assessment service has allowed us to dedicate three hours a day to crisis intervention, telephone counselling, assessment and referral on top of our sessional service. Our counsellors have worked closely with the Lesbian and Gay AntiViolence Project (AVP) during the year and have provided in-service training to staff on the assessment of clients with issues around alcohol and other drugs.

The GP Enhanced Care Project works with patients of participating general practices in the eastern suburbs to maximise health outcomes through counselling, health education, care coordination and helping with access to a range of services. The team of health care professionals involved with the project established a care coordination model of service delivery in five GP settings. The project’s central west arm, based in Bathurst, focussed on GP support and education around HIV and HCV, producing a number of forums and a resource manual for GPs with support from MWAHS. In February, the eastern suburbs team and specialist drug and alcohol services hosted a forum to improve referral pathways around problematic psychostimulant use in the inner city.

Family Support ACON works closely with a number of agencies in providing support and referral services for families living with HIV. Our Family Support service works in partnership with social workers, general practitioners, community health centres and substitute care agencies. In January our Family Support worker attended the annual Camp Goodtime which brings together HIV positive families from around Australia. This year we also held a consultation workshop with client families to ensure that we are continuing to work in collaboration with other service providers and agencies to meet their needs. ACON provided support to a number of HIV positive families by linking them to relevant services and promoting care coordination in our dealings with other agencies and service providers.

Injecting and other Drug Use Project ACON provides information and referral on licit and illicit drug use for members of our communities and employs a range of health promotion activities to raise awareness of drug related issues. During the year we reviewed our secondary Needle and Syringe Program (NSP) and commenced work to relocate the NSP service in our Sydney office to provide a better service for users and a greater opportunity for brief interventions around safe using and harm minimisation. NSP services are also available through our branches and SWOP. We also spent this year consulting with key stakeholders on the development of our Drug Strategy to identify how we can build on our harm minimisation activities to better address issues around alcohol and other drug use in our communities.

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ACTIONACTI ACON Advocacy This year many of our staff involved in direct client contact have played a central role in advocating on their client’s behalf. This form of individual advocacy has also directed our wider advocacy efforts with a number of key issues during the year.

• ACON established an alliance with BGF and PLWHA (NSW) to lobby the NSW Department of Housing over proposed changes to the Special Assistance Subsidy Special (SAS-S) and to ensure people living with HIV/AIDS are not adversely affected.

The experience of our Housing Project staff and their understanding of clients needs helped inform our approach in this work.

• The experience of our Treatment officers helped shape our work with PLWHA(NSW) in supporting the establishment of the Community Pharmacies Trial, giving people living with HIV/AIDS access to HIV drugs in community pharmacies rather than a hospital setting.

• The Injecting and Other Drug Use Project assisted the Policy Officer in coordinating community input to the NSW Ombudsman’s review of sniffer dog legislation and how this was impacting on health risks.

• ACON Northern Rivers in collaboration with Southern Cross University coordinated a series of training workshops with mainstream service providers as part of the Anti-Discrimination Advocacy Project.

• SWOP advocated for street based sex workers during South Sydney Council’s trial of road closures in Darlinghurst and we succeeded in changing an amendment to the Disorderly Houses Act to ensure that condoms alone were not used as evidence of a brothel.

• ACON was vocal on the impact for people living with HIV/AIDS of the Federal Government’s Budget announcement to increase the price of prescription drugs and to cut the number of hours people can work before they lose their disability pension.

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ACON Annual Report 2002

The first full year of AVP being part of ACON has certainly been busy. We completed the Trade Secrets campaign around violence associated with chat lines and launched a major community safety campaign ‘On Any Street’ to help reduce homophobic violence.

The ‘On Any Street’ campaign promoted a range of strategies for protecting community and personal safety and covered information on how to avoid violence, what to do in a confrontation, how to get help if you are a victim and what to do if you are a witness to homophobic violence. Posters, postcards, cruise cards and booklets were distributed to a number of public venues. As part of this campaign six Anti-Homophobia Workshops were held with service providers and close to 100 people completed free self-defence workshops. The AVP has a strong working relationship with Surry Hills Police and this year we formed a new partnership with Waverly and Bondi Police to reduce homophobic violence in the eastern suburbs.

IONACTIONA Strengthening our advocacy

AIDS Awareness ACON has a major presence during AIDS Awareness Week in the last week of November each year and on World AIDS Day on December 1. This is an important time of the year to raise awareness around HIV/AIDS prevention and the needs of people living with HIV/AIDS. ‘I care….do you?’ was the theme of the 2001 World AIDS Day and ACON called on the community to show support by volunteering to help sell red ribbons. Each year we rely on hundreds of volunteers to help sell ribbons and pins to raise funds for the services that we provide to people living with HIV/AIDS across NSW. As our largest annual fundraising event it raises crucial funds for HIV education, care and support. AIDS Awareness Week is an important opportunity to promote the range of community based organisations who provide care and support services. AIDS Awareness Week is also a time for many of us to reflect on our experiences of the epidemic and remember our friends and loved ones.

The annual Candlelight Memorial coincided with the launch for AIDS Awareness Week in Green Park Darlinghurst. Although the attendance at Candlelight has been diminishing each year, ACON recognises the need for this important community event and will continue to support a memorial event for as long as the community wants.

World AIDS Day Awards A highlight of AIDS Awareness Week is the presentation of the annual World AIDS Day Awards acknowledging the commitment and dedication of volunteers working in the HIV/AIDS sector.

The 2001 World AIDS Day Awards were presented by Her Excellency, Professor Marie Bashir, Governor of New South Wales, and a number of ACON/CSN volunteers were recognised.

Harry Fransen has been a tireless ACON volunteer for the past 16 years and was awarded for his efforts alongside Christine Rowan, a CSN carer with ACON Greater Western Sydney, Maree Steinhardt, a CSN carer with ACON Mid North Coast and Nick Ossington, CSN Carer for ACON Illawarra.

Former volunteer, staff member and ACON Board member Gerald Lawrence was placed on the Posthumous Roll of Honour.

HIV Visibility During the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras ACON hosted a major exhibition to help celebrate and generate HIV visibility with a retrospective called ‘Positive Footprints: an exhibition of HIV positive images from the past’. The exhibition brought together various lived experiences of HIV over the past two decades including major works by noted artists such as David McDiarmid and William Yang. Our HIV Living Project developed the exhibition as a key strategy in increasing the visibility of people living with HIV/AIDS.

ACON Annual Report 2002

15

ACTIONACTI Sharing Knowledge

Aboriginal Research and Resource Centre of the University of NSW and NCHSR.

During the year ACON hosted a number of roundtable discussions bringing together players from the HIV, health and community sectors on a variety of issues. As a community based health services research initiative the roundtables were an opportunity to share knowledge around new and innovative thinking in our work and to strengthen our many partnerships. Throughout the course of the year ACON also took part in an International Think Tank on Gay Men’s Health, a three-city meeting of gay men working in health promotion, research and men's health.

■

■

■

August – San Francisco

ACON representatives joined an Australian delegation of researchers and members of national centres at the first stage of the Gay Men’s Health Think Tank to discuss anal sex, mobility and masculinity as key concepts affecting gay men’s health.

■

August - Peer Education

This roundtable examined the principles and practices of peer education in the community health sector. Direct and frontline service staff gained a better understanding of best practice and how to run and support successful peer education programs. Panel guests included representatives from the Western Australia AIDS Council, University of Western Sydney, Centre for Popular Education at the University of Technology and the Australian Research Centre in Sex Health and Society (ARCSHS).

■

September - Lesbian Heath

“Making Visible Through Research” was the topic for discussion around increasing the understanding of various aspects of lesbian health. We brought together health, community and human services sectors to raise awareness of current approaches, issues and opportunities relating to lesbian health.

Speakers came from the Centre for Lesbian Health Research at the University of California, Sydney Sexual Health Centre, Twenty 10 Lesbian and Gay Youth Services, the 16

ACON Annual Report 2002

November – Communality

This full day workshop examined the changing meanings of community in relation to gay, lesbian and HIV positive people. Notions of community, participation and citizenship were discussed along with the role of community based responses to issues of social justice and health promotion. ACON and the National Centre in HIV Social Research hosted the workshop with members of AFAO, University of Sydney, AIDS Council of South Australia and ARCSHS.

February - Gay Men’s Health Promotion

International perspectives were discussed on social marketing campaigns, policy developments and innovative research in gay men’s health promotion. Panel guests included representatives of the Terrence Higgins Trust in London, Gay City in Seattle, Dialogay in Geneva, AFAO, San Francisco AIDS Foundation, Healthy Gay Living Centre in London and the South Australian AIDS Council. The roundtable was held as an extension of the Sydney stage of the International Gay Men’s Health Think Tank.

■

April - Living Well

Surviving and thriving, towards a better understanding of living with HIV long-term was the topic of discussion for this roundtable.

People living with HIV/AIDS, service providers, advocates, clinicians and researchers discussed challenges, practical and personal survival strategies for living with HIV long-term. ACON staff were joined by members of the Positive Living Centre, NAPWA, PLWHA(NSW), BGF, NCHSR and 229 Oxford Street General Practice.

■

June – London

The final stage of the International Gay Men’s Health Think Tank took place in London just prior to the XIV International AIDS Conference in Barcelona. Topics discussed included love, moralism and citizenship.

IONACTIONA Strengthening our partnerships

Community Support Community Events ACON supports a number of smaller community groups by providing meetings spaces, access to resources and administrative tools as well as funding grants.

We have been proud to grant a number of community disbursements during the last year with funds from the 2001 Hand in Hand dance party distributed in July and the last party in June 2002. ACON’s Hand in Hand dance party on the Queen’s Birthday weekend has been our major fundraiser for the past 12 years with proceeds supporting services for people living with HIV/AIDS, the gay and lesbian community and smaller community groups.

This year, sadly, we bid farewell to Hand in Hand with Playground as the last party due to skyrocketing public liability insurance. Next year we will be exploring a number of options for fundraising events to continue supporting community groups.

More than $100,000 from Hand in Hand proceeds have gone out in community disbursements in recent years and those supported in 2001-02 include - Mardi Gras Medical Team, Workers Out, Out West & Proud, Bankstown and District Gay & Lesbian Society, Our Pathways Inc, Luncheon Club, Sydney Outfielders, Positive Support Network, Town & Country MIA Gay & Lesbian Support Group, Upper Mountains Youth Services Inc Mixed Fruit Collective, GAMMA NSW, Chaps Outback, Western Suburbs Haven, Mogenic, Private Workers Alliance, PLWHA (NSW), Ten Forty Matrix, Learn to Include, Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre, Blue Mountains PLWHA, Charles Sturt University S.A.M.E Club, Cooma YMCA Youth Parliament Project, Sydney 2002 Gay Games Cultural Festival and BGF.

ACON supported a number of community events throughout the year. We provided health information resources and had a strong presence at Pride Week celebrations, Sleaze, Inquisition, Orgy of Drag, Newtown and Glebe Festivals. We were also involved in 17 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras events including our popular Chill Out tent at Fairday.

ACON’s Safe Sex Sluts had a particularly busy Mardi Gras attending all the parties and helping us to get our safe sex message out into major gay and lesbian venues. During the Mardi Gras period we also took to the streets with acon @ Taylor Square to meet international and interstate guests.

We bring the community together for a weekly fundraising event with Bingay at the Imperial Hotel on Tuesday nights and this year venues such as Stonewall, DCM, Arq Sydney and the Midnight Shift have dedicated nights to raising funds for ACON services. Most of Sydney’s venues are particularly supportive during AIDS Awareness Week.

ACON Annual Report 2002

17

ACONACONA Partners, Sponsors and Supporters

Many thanks to our major funder: Aboriginal Health Services, Aboriginal Medical Services – Redfern and Durri, ADAHPS, ADIS, Adult World, AFAO, AIDS Treatment Project, AIDS Trust of Australia, AKA Entertainment, Albion Street Clinic, Amitayus, Ankali, Ansell Australia, ARCSHS, Area Health Services – Central Coast, Central Sydney, Hunter, Illawarra, Mid North Coast, Mid Western, Northern Rivers, Northern Sydney, South Eastern Sydney, South Western Sydney, Wentworth and Western Sydney, Arq Sydney, ASHM, Aussie Boys, Australian Concert and Entertainment Security, Australian Lesbian Medical Association, Avon, Awabakal Medical Service, B Telecommunications, Banardos, Beauty Nine One, Benevolent Society, BGF, Bodyline, Bingay– Mitzi McIntosh and Naomi Palmer, Blue Mountains PLWHA, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol Myer Squibb, Bruce Pollack Publicity, BumpHer Bar, Cadbury Schweppes, Castle Personnel, Cellblock Youth Health Service, Centacare, Centrelink, Central Coast Positive Support Network, Central Station Records, CHAIN, CHAPS Outback, Coastal Lynx, Coffs Harbour Youth, Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care, Communique Direct, Community Connections, Cooladdie, Corrections Health Service, Day 2 Night Event Production, Den, DISC, Divisions of General Practice – Eastern Suburbs and Central West, dna creative, Dorrigo Youth Access, Dr Earth Health Foods, Epsom Smash Repairs, Fish Records, Floral Decorator, Foley House, FPA Health, Gallery Café Annandale, GAMMA, Gardens for Western Sydney, Gay and Lesbian Counselling Service, Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby, gay.com, GL@M, Glaxosmithkline, Glyde, GLISS, Gender Centre, GLYSSN, Gold’s Gym, Goldwell, Greater Union, Ground Zero, HACC, Harbour City Bears, Hastings Council, Headquarters, Health in Difference 4, Hep C Council, Holdsworth House General Practice, Holy Family Community Garden, Hoyts, IGA Darlinghurst, Illawarra Healthy Cities, Imperial Hotel, Independent Distillers, Interelate, Jacobson Entertainment Group, Jaffa Park Media, Karumah Inc, Kens@Kensington, KiaOra Pacific Trading P/L, Kick-start Youth Centre, King Street Chemist, Kingsteam, Kinselas, Kirketon Road Centre, Kyogle Youth Services, Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, LHIN, Lismore Council, Lismore Men’s Resource Centre, Luncheon Club, Lush, Mandarin Creative Solutions, Many Rivers Land Council, Marrickville Council, MEN, Mental Health and Drug and Alcohol Services, Mental Health Coordinating Council, Metropolitan Comm-unity Church, Midnight Shift, Millennium Hotel Sydney, Multicultural HIV/AIDS Service, Muscle Room, NADA, NAPWA, NCHECR, NCHSR, NDARC, Newcastle Buddhist Meditation Group, Newcastle University Queer Collective, Newtown Hotel, North Coast Gambling Service, North Coast Respite Service, NorthAIDS, Northern Rivers HIV/AIDS Enhanced Primary Care, Novartis Pharmaceuticals, NSW AntiDiscrimination Board, NSW Departments – Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Community Services, Education, Health, Housing and Women, NSW Police Service, NUAA, ONQ Disabilities Employment Service, Opera Australia, OPI, Options Employment, Oracle Laser Productions, Oxford Hotel, Palais Youth Centre, Parramatta Club, Party Pizzazz, People With Disbailities, PEP Committee, PFLAG, Playbill Venues @ Fox Studios, PLWHA (NSW), Positive Women Victoria, POW Hospital, Poz Hets, PozWest, PRIDE, Private Workers Alliance, Publicis Drum, Quality Management Services, Queer Youth Facilitator’s Interagency, Queer Youth Interagency, Queerscreen, RACGP, Red Bull, Redfern Community Health, Regency Escorts, Rekindling the Spirit Project, Revlon, RIO Aboriginal Housing Cooperative, Roche, Royal Australian Institute of Architects, Royal South Sydney Hospital, RPA Hospital, Sacred Heart Hospice, Samaritans, Sax Condoms, Sexual Health Services, SHAIDS, Shared Vision, Sharpes Pharmacy, Shellharbour Council, Signal, Solgar Vitamin & Herb, South Sydney Council, Southcorp Wines, Southern Cross University, St Vincent’s Community Health, St Vincent’s Hospital, Stanford House, Stonewall Hotel, SWAIDS, SX News, Sydney 2002 Gay Games, Sydney Children’s Hospital, Sydney City Steam, Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, Sydney Leather Men, Sydney Leather Pride Association, Sydney Outfielders, Sydney Sexual Health Centre, Sydney Star Observer, Taxi Club, Taylor Square Private Clinic, Ten Forty Matrix, Tooheys, Toolsheds, Town & Country MIA Gay & Lesbian Support Group, Tree of Hope, Tropical Fruits, Tweed Shire Council, Twenty 10, Universal Café Deli, University of Western Sydney, University of Wollongong, Wayside Chapel, Wella Balsam, Western Suburbs Haven, Wetstuff, Who Weekly Magazine, Wok Station on Crown Street, Wollongong Council, Wollongong Lesbian Drop-in, Women Partners of Bisexual Men, Women’s Health Centres – Hunter, Leichhardt, Lismore and Illawarra, Women’s Legal Resource Centre, Workers Out, 220 Oxford Street General Practice, 407 Doctors.

Many thanks to our pro-bono legal advisors Freehills and to our auditors PriceWaterhouseCoopers

18

ACON Annual Report 2002

ACONACON Staff and Volunteers

Anthony Adams, Cath Adams, Nicola Addison, Ngakuku Ahomiro, Brent Allan, Glenn Archibald, Brett Ashman-Steel, Brian Ashton, Jane-Emily Askew, James Bahr, Martin Baird, Peter Baldwin, Gavin Bambry, David Barclay, Rodney Bate, Ruth Bearpark, Sean Bell, Sarah Bergin, Arnaldo Bertachinin, Shannon Black, Nigel Blackwood, Eric Bonanno, Mark Boyd, Cheryl Breakspear, Andrew Bredin, Madeleine Bridgett, John Bright, Rosemary Bristow, Barrie Brockwell, Alan Brotherton, Deb Broughton, Kooncha Brown, Graeme Browning, Peter Bryant, David Buchanan, Kallista Buchanan, Emma Bushell, John Byrne, Julie Cairnes, Julie Callaghan, Donna Campbell, Melinda Campbell, Theresa Caruana, Jules Cassidy, Allan Chan, Derek Chan, Glenn Chapman, Stephen Chapman-Smith, Jason Chatwin, Kerrie Cheers, Jum Chimkit, Danielle Clayman, Stevie Clayton, Nathan Clunas, Aaron Cogle, Travis Cogle, Linette Collins, Crellyn Collison, Sam Collova, Glenn Conley, Tony Cooper, Eve Cook, Marlene Cornell, Paul Costello, Duncan Cresswell, Stuart Crofts, John Cumming, Alison Cunningham, Graham Curtis, Corey Czok, Stephen Darcy, Ronald Davis, Michael Deede, Anthony Defina, Peter Della, Roy Devellerez, Sarah Dickson, Hon Diec, John Dixon, Lee Doherty, Paul Donnelly, Hamish Downie, Jacklynn Draper, Fraser Drummond, Ross Duffin, Brian Dunn, Catherine Fargher, Gerard Farmer, Joe Farrelly, Kate Faulkner, Lance Feeney, Suzie Ferrie, Ron Filmer, Marie Fisher, Michael Flynn, Harry Fransen, Tony Fraser, Jacqueline Frajer, Tony Fox, Stephen Gallagher, Daniel Gallant, Xin Ding Gerrand, Justin Giese, Keith Gilbert, Gareth Gillham, Carole Goddard, Michael Googan, Michael Graveson, Brad Gray, Neil Green, Richard Green, Josephine Groves, Andrew Grulich, Kent Gryphon, Matthew Haines, Derya Han, Toni Hanger, Denise Hanlon, Paul Hannon, Mark Hardy, Barrie Harrison, Peter Harrison, Derek Harvey, Vanessa Harvey,Susan Hawkes-wood, Perry Head, Kim Heap, Chac Heels, May Helleren, Jame Hickey, Barbara Hickson, Anthony Hillis, Mark Hobson, John Hollingsworth, Patricia Holton, Geoff Honnor, Henrike Horner, Evert Houtman, Matthew Hua, Kha Hien Huynh, Michelle Hyde, Ken Irvine, Rochelle Isemonger, Allan Jackson, Alex Jackson, Detlev Jackson, Paul James, Doerthe Jansen, Dean Johnston, Cindy Jones, Akira Kada, Wayne Kane, Tony Katsig-iannis, Laurence Keane, Ronnie Keevers, Robert Kellet, Andrew Kendrick, Zaid Khan, Julie Kim, Glenn King, Kimberly Kitchener, Christine Knight, Ronald Knight, Douglas Knox, Alexander Ku, Ray Lackey, Tania Lang, Annette Latella, Gerald Lawrence, Julie Lawrence, Timothy Leach, Mary-Jane Leahy, David Lee, Jan Leith, Eric Lewis, Kay Lewis, Maxine Lewis, Jane Liddy, Kimin Lin, Gavin Lobach, Adrian Lovney, Andrew Lowth, Kate Maere, Andrew Maiden, Grant Malpas, Colin Malzard, Chris Manion, Chantell Martin, Robyn Maurice, norrie mAy-welby, Anthony Maynard, Rima Mazloum, Ron McCullogh, Roni McGarrigle, Colin McGrath, David McGuigan, Craig McKiernan, Amelia McLoughlin, Maria McMahon, Paul McQueen, Dennis Meijer, Karen Michael, Stacey Miers, Sam Minter, Shab Mireskandari, Sara Mitchell, Jefferson Moreira, David Moriarty, Maggie Moylan, Belinda Munn, Richard Murphy, Rusty Nannup, Palaniappan, Narayanan, Graham Norton, David Novella, John O’Dea, Darrin Ohannessian, Milton O’Neil, Debra O'Neill, Sean O’Rourke, Frank O’Sullivan, Kevin Orrell, Nicholas Ossington, Stephen Ostrow, Antonio Pangallo, Naomi Palmer, Basilios Papaioannou, Bruce Parker, Kevin Paton, Dean Pearce, Gordon Peck, Adrian Pedra, Sandra Peel, Rachel Pepper, Greig Phillpot, Sera Pinwill, Simon Poisson, Katelund Povey, Ty Power, Gino Preziosa, Paul Prior, Jeremy Proctor, Robert Pryde, Polly Purser, Kerry Putaranui, James Quinan, Kane Race, Neil Radford, Shahana Rasool, Chris Reagan, Michael Reid, Faye Rescigno, Thomas Robertson, Kenneth Robinson, Marian Robinson, Sue Rodda, Maureen Rogers, Richard Rohrsheim, Katy Roy, Jen Rudland, Narelle Russell, Felicity Ryan, Lisa Ryan, Alfeo Salcedo, Hedimo Santana, Ray Sarsin, Mary Saunders, Brad Schultz, Naresh Sharma, Elizabeth Sheehan, Berri Shelley, Shan Short, Colin Simpson, Geoffrey Sloman, Colin Small, Janet Smith, Michaela Smith, Warren Smith, Alanna Somers, Helen Stacey, Greg Staples, Ashley Steinkuehler, Angela Stewart, Jonathon Street, Philip Suitor, John Sullivan, Ralph Taylor, Themistos Themistou, Kon Toumazos, Brian Treloar, Ross Trevelyan, John Tsioulos, Rod Tuck, Ben Tunstall, Veronica Turner, Mark Tynan, James Urban, Andrew Van-Twist, Peter Varena, Bill Vernon, Matthew Viney, Heinz Von Hollander, Greg Warrilow, Patrick Watson, Dan Webb, David Webber, Sky Wells, Harry West, Steve Wheatley, Lynne Whittall, Matthew Whitbread, Jenny White, David Wilkins, Darrell Williams, Greg Williams, Peter Williams, Sonny Williams, Peter Williamson, Terry Wills, Michael Woodhouse, Rachel Wotton, Paul Wren, Broni Wright, John Writz, Ruobing Yang, Bruce Yates, Craig Yeates, Zuni Zacutti, Elizabeth Zannino, Tess Ziems, Anthony Zveglic

Many thanks to our hundreds of volunteers for Red Ribbon and Hand in Hand

ACON Annual Report 2002

19

ACONACONA Expenditure Divisions

Sub Program Areas

Program Areas

20

ACON Annual Report 2002

ACONACON Financials

Treasurer’s Report FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2002 It is with pleasure that I present the accounts for the 2001-02 financial year which indicate that ACON has once again finished the year in a strong and healthy financial position.

Through careful financial management we have again returned a modest operating surplus.

The Board has decided that this money will be used in the coming year to expand our services rather than be used to simply increase members’ funds. At the same time we have ensured that we retain sufficient reserves to ensure the long term financial security of ACON. The Financial Statements show a substantial amount of cash on hand at 30 June 2002.

This is primarily made up of grant income provided in advance, and provision for employee entitlements, guaranteeing the organisation’s ability to pay such entitlements when required.

Our ‘Strategic Direction’ of taking on new health issues of importance to our communities, whilst improving our HIV services, is reflected in the continued diversification of our funding base. Of particular note this year is the Positive Living Centre (PLC) which has become a project of ACON. In the area of self-generated funds, this was the last year that ACON held the Hand in Hand Dance Party. We are now developing a Funds Generation Strategy which will look at new avenues for fundraising to ensure that we can still undertake projects which are not government funded, as well as provide support to other community-based organisations.

During the year a new Enterprise Agreement was negotiated with staff and the Australian Services Union. This will enable ACON to continue to attract and retain high quality staff which, in turn, will assist us in meeting our commitment to continuous quality improvement. Increased staffing costs in this regard are reflected in these accounts.

This was the first year of our rolling three year asset replacement program for IT equipment. This will improve the technology available to staff throughout the organisation. We have also continued to consolidate improvements made in financial accountability and reporting. The new year will see a further upgrade to our financial systems to ensure that we have up-to-date data on budgets and expenditure which, in turn, will provide even better reporting to our funders and to our members.

In summary, these statements reflect the high standard of financial management within ACON, and a continued focus on both short-term services provision and long-term security.

Andrew Maiden Treasurer

ACON Annual Report 2002

21

ACONACONA THE BOARD OF THE AIDS COUNCIL OF NEW SOUTH WALES INCORPORATED SUBMITS ITS REPORT ON THE ASSOCIATION FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2002.

1

The principal activities of the Association during the year were the provision of health promotion, advocacy and care and support services to people living with HIV/AIDS and to the gay and lesbian communities, including indigenous people, transgender people, injecting drug users, and sex workers.

2

After providing $nil for income tax, operations for the year ended 30 June 2002, resulted in a net surplus of $154,952 [2000/2001:$206,712] compared to a break-even budget.

The operating surplus included Gifts of Works of Art totalling $0 [2000/2001: $28,850].

3

In accordance with ACON’s Revaluation Policy, one-third of the Works of Art were revalued at 30 June 2002, resulting in the creation of a Revaluation Reserve of $5,000.

4

The Association is incorporated under the Associations Incorporation Act 1984 (NSW) and is restricted from declaring any dividends.

5

During the year ended 30 June 2002, there was no significant change in the state of affairs of the Association other than those referred to in the above review or financial statements.

6

There have not been any matters or circumstances that have arisen since the end of the financial period, other than those referred to in the review or financial statements, that have significantly affected or may significantly affect the operations of the Association, the results of those operations or the state of affairs of the Association in subsequent years.

7

Members of the Board at 30 June 2002

Name

Experience Qualifications

Special Responsibilities

Adrian Lovney LLB(Hons)

10 years’ experience at governance level in HIV/AIDS organisations, and in public sector program and policy analysis/advice. Manager Public Affairs for Australian Credit Unions.

President

Rachel Pepper BA/LLB(Hons)

Barrister who practices in discrimination law, legal community centre experience, worked in voluntary capacity for Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby.

Vice-President

Andrew Maiden BEc,LLB

Solicitor with extensive experience in community organisations. Currently an executive in the telecommunications industry.

Secretary to November 2001, Treasurer from November 2001

Margaret Hansford BA,AFCHSE,AFAIM

Extensive experience in all levels of health industry, with particular interest in women’s health and primary health care. Currently CEO of FPA Health.

Secretary from November 2001

David Buchanan,SC

Barrister

Derek J. Chan MB ChB (NZ)

Senior Registrar in STD/HIV Medicine. President of NSW Sexual Health Society.

22

ACON Annual Report 2002

ACONACON Financials

Name

Experience Qualifications

Special Responsibilities

Stevie Clayton

3.5 years as Deputy Executive Officer of ACON; Member of Equal Opportunity Division, Administrative Decisions Tribunal. Long history of involvement in community based organisations.

Chief Executive Officer

Linette Collins Dip. Soc Studs, MPH (Hons)

Currently conducts research into drug use.

Has a background in health services management, public policy and public health.

Andrew Grulich MBBs, MSc,PhD

Associate Professor in HIV Epidemiology, ACON Vice President to November 2000, Senior Lecturer in HIV research, President of Australasian Society for HIV Medicine, President HIV Health Promotion Committee of NSW Health, Member of National HIV Committee of Australian National Council on HIV, AIDS, Hepatitis C and Related Diseases.

Kane Race BA(Hons),LLB

Conducts research into sexuality, gender, medicine and politics at The University of New South Wales. Six years’ experience in the HIV sector.

Robyn Waqakalou Tess Ziems BA(Lib & Info Sc,) Dip comm Mgnt

8.

ACON Staff Representative; 9 years as ACON staff member, 5 as CSN volunteer carer.

Currently ACON Quality Improvement Coordinator. Knowledge of ACON’s staff/ project history, as well as previous Staff Representative position in 1996.

Attendances by Members of the Board who held office during the year at meetings of the Board during the year ended 30 June 2002 were as follows. Elections for the elected Board Members were held in October 2001.

Meetings held

Meetings attended

11 5 11 4 11 11 5 5 11 11 11

10 2 7 2 8 9 4 2 11 11 6

Elected Members and Ex Officio David Buchanan Derek Chan [from November 2001] Linette Collins Fraser Drummond [to November 2001] Andrew Grulich Margaret Hansford Rita Harding [from November 2001] Gerard Lawrence [to October 2001] Adrian Lovney Andrew Maiden Rachel Pepper

ACON Annual Report 2002

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ACONACONA Kane Race Sonny Williams [to November 2001] Tess Ziems [from November 2001]

11 6 5

7 5 3

Stevie Clayton [CEO] Alan Brotherton [Acting CEO June 2002]

10 1

10 1

Appointed positive women and representatives of PLWH/A (NSW) Inc. Ken Irvine [PLWHA representative to May 2002] Robyn Waqakalou [co-opted Member]

10 11

4 4

In addition, various representatives appointed by PLWH/A (NSW) Inc. deputised under the Constitution.

The Board also co-opted individuals from time to time.

9.

10 11

12

13

14

Other than Staff Representatives and the Chief Executive Officer, no Member of the Board has received or has become entitled to receive, during or since the financial year, a benefit because of a contract made by the Association with the member, a firm of which the member is a member or an entity in which the member has a substantial financial interest.

There are no significant environmental regulations which affect the Association’s operations.

The Association has paid a premium of $1,750, [2000/2001: $1,682] to insure certain officers of the Association. The officers of the AIDS Council of New South Wales Incorporated covered by the insurance policy include the Members of the Board.

The liabilities insured include costs and expenses that may be incurred in defending civil or criminal proceedings that may be brought against officers of the Association.

The net surplus obtained from fundraising activities was applied to the purposes of the AIDS Council of New South Wales Incorporated as set out in Note 1 above. A portion of the net proceeds from the Hand-in-Hand Dance Party, $32,138, was disbursed as small grants to community organisations who are ineligible for, or unlikely to receive, government funding for services directly beneficial to people living with HIV/AIDS. At its meeting held on 11 September 2002, the Members of the Board resolved to advance the newly incorporated New Mardi Gras the sum of $50,000, such loan being due and payable in full when New Mardi Gras adopts a membership-based constitution, or by 21 March 2003, whichever is the sooner.

The advance was conditional upon New Mardi Gras providing a reporting mechanism which is certified by the ACON President as satisfactory to ACON; the ACON Chief Executive Officer being a New Mardi Gras authorising signatory; the funds of the loan being subject to and disbursed in accordance with ACON systems; and New Mardi Gras providing monthly cash flow and expenditure reporting to ACON. PricewaterhouseCoopers continues in office as auditors to the AIDS Council of New South Wales Incorporated in accordance with section 327 of the Corporations Act 2001.

Signed in accordance with a resolution of the Board.

DATED AT SYDNEY THIS TWENTY FIFTH DAY OF OCTOBER 2002

ADRIAN LOVNEY President 24

ACON Annual Report 2002

RACHEL PEPPER Vice-President

ACONACON Financials

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2002 Notes

2002 $

2001 $

6,468,791 64,424 7,436 1,942 12,525 205,706 416,923 5,059 47,273 4,323 65,388 410,081 125,714 1,733 36,358 68,299 117,372 60,672 –

5,782,732 104,367 1,857 – 33,294 57,930 129,640 27,992 35,450 8,176 40,060 437,033 120,188 3,110 49,191 69,744 114,878 90,229 28,850

8,120,019

7,134,721

Salaries & Associated Costs Programs and Services Rent and Rates Depreciation – Plant & Equipment Building Maintenance Communications Travel and Representation Donations given Publicity and Promotion Events and Activities Administrative costs Borrowing Costs Cost of goods sold

5,068,260 651,995 187,110 115,980 284,761 246,700 328,246 45,328 150,894 183,368 632,442 398 69,585

4,436,712 509,557 170,633 141,214 309,581 242,445 258,274 27,506 115,355 228,990 418,376 1,769 67,597

Total Expenditure

7,965,067

6,928,009

154,952

206,712

REVENUE FROM ORDINARY ACTIVITIES Grants: NSW Department of Health NSW Department of Community Services WorkCover New South Wales NSW Department for Women NSW Attorney General’s Department Commonwealth Dept of Health & Aged Care Area Health Services Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations AIDS Trust of Australia NSW Users & AIDS Association Other grants Fundraising Interest received/receivable Membership Rent received Sale of Vitamins Sale of Materials Other Income Gifts of Works of Art Total Revenue from Ordinary Activities

23

EXPENDITURE

Surplus from Ordinary Activities

The above Statement of Financial Performance should be read in conjunction with the accompanying notes.

ACON Annual Report 2002

25

ACONACONA STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION AS AT 30 JUNE 2002 Notes

2002 $

2001 $

4 6 7 8

2,795,841 210,707 5,738 93,807

2,183,602 316,246 6,444 109,663

3,106,093

2,615,955

368,549 2,467

378,690 –

371,016

378,690

3,477,109

2,994,645

872,394 490,992 948,904 -

773,076 443,443 768,094 5,165

TOTAL CURRENT LIABILITIES

2,312,290

1,989,778

TOTAL LIABILITIES

2,312,290

1,989,778

NET ASSETS

1,164,819

1,004,867

Retained Surplus at beginning of the Year Current Year Surplus

1,004,867 154,952

798,155 206,712

RETAINED SURPLUS AT THE END OF THE YEAR

1,159,819

1,004,867

5,000

–

1,164,819

1,004,867

CURRENT ASSETS Cash Receivables Inventories Other TOTAL CURRENT ASSETS NON-CURRENT ASSETS Property, Plant & Equipment Deposits, Bonds

9 10

TOTAL NON-CURRENT ASSETS TOTAL ASSETS CURRENT LIABILITIES Accounts Payable Employee Entitlements Grants in Advance Borrowings

11 13 14 12&15

MEMBERS' FUNDS

Revaluation Reserve TOTAL MEMBERS’ FUNDS

26

The above Statement of Financial Position should be read in conjunction with the accompanying notes.

26

ACON Annual Report 2002

ACONACON Financials

STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2002 Notes

2002 $

2001 $

9,067,176

8,004,190

(8,486,521)

(7,110,004)

580,655

894,186

(398) 137,973

(1,769) 117,624

718,230

1,010,041

Payment for plant and equipment

(100,826)

(69,471)

Net cash outflow from investing activities

(100,826)

(69,471)

Payments reducing lease liability

(5,165)

(8,956)

Net cash outflow from financing activities

(5,165)

(8,956)

612,239

931,614

Cash flows from operating activities: Receipts from customers, granting bodies and fundraising (inclusive of goods and services tax) Payments to suppliers and employees (inclusive of goods and services tax)

Interest paid Interest received Net cash inflow from operating activities

5

Cash flows from investing activities

Cash flows from financing activities

Net increase in cash held Cash at beginning of the financial year

4

2,183,602

1,251,988

Cash at end of the financial year

4

2,795,841

2,183,602

The above Statement of Cash Flows should be read in conjunction with the accompanying notes.

ACON Annual Report 2002

27

ACONACONA Notes to the Financial Statements 1

STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES This general purpose report has been prepared in accordance with Accounting Standards, other mandatory professional reporting requirements, other authoritative pronouncements of the Australian Accounting Standards Board, Urgent Issues Group consensus views, and the requirements of the Associations Incorporation Act 1984 (NSW), the Charitable Fundraising Act 1991 (NSW), and the Charitable Fundraising Regulations 1993 (NSW).

It is prepared in accordance with the historical cost convention on an accruals basis, except for certain assets which, as noted, are at valuation.

Unless otherwise stated, the accounting policies are consistent with those of the previous year.

(a) Grant Revenue Grant revenue received is brought to account over the life of the funded project, hence all funds committed for the financial year have been recorded as revenue for that year and funds not committed as grants in advance.

(b) Receivables Trade receivables are recognised at the amounts receivable as they are due for settlement no more than 30 days from the date of recognition.

Collectability of trade debtors is reviewed on an ongoing basis. Debts which are known to be uncollectable are written off. A provision for doubtful debts is raised where some doubt as to collection exists.

(c) Inventories Inventories are represented by vitamin stock and are stated at the lower of cost or net realisable value on the basis of first in first out.

(d) Recoverable amount of non-current assets The recoverable amount of an asset is the net amount expected to be recovered through the cash inflows and outflows arising from its continued use and subsequent disposal.

Where the carrying amount of a non-current asset is greater than its recoverable amount, the asset is written down to its recoverable amount. Where net cash inflows are derived from a group of assets working together, the recoverable amount is determined on the basis of the relevant group of assets. The decrement in the carrying amount is recognised as an expense in net profit or loss in the reporting period in which the recoverable amount write-down occurs.

(e) Revaluation of non-current assets The Association is gifted works of art from time to time. Works gifted are valued at the time of the gift and are capitalised at that amount.

Works of Art are valued at three yearly intervals. Revaluations reflect independent assessments of the fair market value of works of art.

Revaluation increments are credited directly to the asset revaluation reserve, unless they are reversing a previous decrement charged to the statement of financial performance, in which case the increment is credited to the statement of financial performance.

28

ACON Annual Report 2002

ACONACON Financials

Revaluation decrements are recognised as expenses in the statement of financial performance, unless they are reversing revaluation increments previously credited to, and still included in the balance of, the asset revaluation reserve in respect of that same class of assets, in which case they are debited directly to the asset revaluation reserve.

Revaluation increments and decrements are offset against one another within a class of non-current assets, but not otherwise.

Potential capital gains tax is not taken into account in determining revaluation amounts unless it is expected that a liability for such tax will crystallise.

Revaluations do not result in the carrying value of Works of Art exceeding their recoverable amount.

(f) Depreciation of plant and equipment Depreciation is calculated on a straight line basis so as to write off the net cost of each depreciable non-current asset over its expected useful life to the Association. Estimates of remaining useful lives are made on a regular basis for all assets, with annual reassessments for major items.

The expected useful lives are as follows: Plant and Equipment, Office Equipment, Equipment under lease: 2-5 years Works of Art are not depreciated.

(g) Leasehold Improvements A lease for premises at 9-25 Commonwealth Street, Darlinghurst exists between the Association and the NSW State Government, terminating on 30 September 2004. The costs of Leasehold Improvements relating to this property will be amortised over the remaining period of the lease, or the estimated useful life to the Association, whichever is shorter.

Leasehold Improvements held at the reporting date are being amortised over 10 years.

(h) Leased non-current assets A distinction is made between finance leases which effectively transfer from the lessor to the lessee substantially all the risks and benefits incident to ownership of leased non-current assets, and operating leases under which the lessor effectively retains substantially all such risks and benefits.

Finance leases are capitalised. A lease asset and liability are established at the present value of minimum lease payments. Lease payments are allocated between the principal component of the lease liability and the interest expense.

The lease asset is amortised on a straight line basis over the term of the lease, or where it is likely that the Association will obtain ownership of the asset, the life of the asset. Lease assets held at the reporting date are being amortised over 5 years.

Incentives received on entering into operating leases are recognised as liabilities. Lease payments are allocated between interest (calculated by applying the interest rate implicit in the lease to the outstanding amount of the liability,) rental expense and reduction of the liability.

Other operating lease payments are charged to the statement of financial performance in the periods in which they are incurred, as this represents the pattern of benefits derived from the leased assets.

ACON Annual Report 2002

29

ACONACONA (i) Trade and other creditors These amounts represent liabilities for goods and services provided to the Association prior to the end of the financial year and which are unpaid. The amounts are unsecured and are usually paid within 30 days of recognition.

(j) Goods and services tax systems changes Costs incurred to update existing systems or to design, develop and implement new systems to deal with the GST are charged as expenses as incurred, except where they result in an enhancement of future economic benefits and are recognised as an asset.

(k) Web site costs Costs in relation to the web site controlled by the Association are charged as expenses in the period in which they are incurred unless they relate to the acquisition of an asset, in which case they are capitalised and amortised over their period of expected benefit.

Generally, costs in relation to feasibility studies during the planning phase of the web site, and ongoing costs of maintenance during the operating phase, are considered to be expenses. Costs incurred in building or enhancing the web site, to the extent that they represent probable future economic benefits controlled by the Association that can be reliably measured, are capitalised as an asset and amortised over the period of the expected benefits which vary from 2 to 5 years.

(l) Employee entitlements Wages, Salaries and Annual Leave Liabilities for wages, salaries and annual leave are recognised, and are measured as the amount unpaid at the reporting date at current pay rates in respect of employees’ service up to that date.

Long Service Leave A liability for long service leave is recognised and is measured as the present value of expected future payments to be made in respect of services provided by employees up to the reporting date. Consideration is given to expected future wage and salary levels, experience of employee departures and periods of service. Expected future payments are discounted using interest rates on national guaranteed securities with terms to maturity that match, as closely as possible, the estimated cash outflows.

Superannuation Contributions are made by the Association to several employee superannuation funds of choice and are charged as expenses when incurred.

(m) Borrowing costs Borrowing costs are recognised as expenses in the period in which they are incurred.

(n) Cash For purposes of the statement of cash flows, cash includes deposits at call which are readily convertible to cash on hand and are subject to an insignificant risk of changes in value, net of outstanding bank overdrafts.

30

ACON Annual Report 2002

ACONACON Financials

2

OPERATING SURPLUS

Operating surplus from ordinary activities includes the following specific net gains and expenses:

(a) Net gains and expenses: Cost of Goods Sold Depreciation Plant & Equipment Loss on disposal of non-current assets Donations Given Borrowing costs Bad and Doubtful Debts Provision for Employee Entitlements Rental expense relating to operating leases

2002 $

2001 $

69,585 115,980 1,766 45,328 398 3,630 47,549 108,568

67,597 141,214 778 27,506 1,769 1,780 2,035 89,928

(b) Revision of Estimated Useful Life of Assets During the year, the estimated total useful lives to the Association of certain items of Plant and Equipment and Office Equipment were revised. The net effect of the changes in the current financial year was a loss on disposal of non-current assets of $1,766 [2000/2001:$778).

3

INCOME TAX

The AIDS Council of New South Wales Incorporated as a public benevolent institution is exempt from paying income tax.

4

CURRENT ASSETS - CASH

Cash on hand Cash at bank: Cheque account - Operations Deposits

4,200

4,202

1,265,746 1,525,895

1,637,255 542,145

2,795,841

2,183,602

Cash at bank earns interest at variable rates between 3.25% and 5.07% [2000/2001 3.00% and 6.1%].

5

RECONCILIATION OF OPERATING SURPLUS TO NET CASH PROVIDED

BY OPERATING ACTIVITIES

Operating Surplus Depreciation and Amortisation Loss on disposal of non-current assets Gifts of Works of Art Lease Interest Changes in Operating Assets and Liabilities Increase in Provision for Employee Entitlements Increase in Grants in Advance (Increase)/Decrease in Receivables Decrease in Other Current Assets Decrease in Inventory Increase in other Non-Current Assets Increase in Creditors

154,952 115,980 1,766 – 398

206,712 141,214 778 (28,850) 1,769

47,549 180,810 93,550 25,664 706 (2,467) 99,322

2,035 417,922 (21,240) 5,394 1,862 – 282,445

Net cash inflows from operating activities

718,230

1,010,041

ACON Annual Report 2002

31

ACONACONA 6

CURRENT ASSETS - RECEIVABLES 2002 $

2001 $

116,753 93,954

125,084 191,162

210,707

316,246

5,738

6,444

5,738

6,444

83,070 10,737

71,078 38,585

93,807

109,663

1,229,395 (1,101,628)

1,229,395 (1,043,820)

127,767

185,575

408,648 (280,318)

378,457 (304,881)

128,330

73,576

48,116 (46,048)

71,390 (57,823)

2,068

13,567

3,663 102,850 –

3,663 97,850 –

106,513

101,513

5,880 (2,009)

5,880 (1,421)

3,871

4,459

368,549

378,690

Accounts Receivable Accrued Income

7

CURRENT ASSETS - INVENTORIES

Finished Goods (Vitamins) at cost

8

CURRENT ASSETS - OTHER

Prepaid Goods & Services Tax Prepaid expenses

9

NON-CURRENT ASSETS - PLANT & EQUIPMENT

Furniture & Fittings, at cost less: Accumulated Depreciation

Office Equipment, at cost less: Accumulated Depreciation

Equipment Under Lease, at cost less: Accumulated Depreciation

Library Resources Gifts of Works of Art less: Accumulated Depreciation

Leasehold Improvements less: Accumulated Depreciation

TOTAL PLANT & EQUIPMENT

32

ACON Annual Report 2002

ACONACON Financials

Reconciliations Reconciliations of the carrying amounts of each class of plant and equipment at the beginning and end of the current financial year are set out below.

Furniture & Fittings $

Office Equipment $

Equipment Under Lease $

Library Works of Art $

Leasehold Improvements $

Totals

185,574

73,577

13,567

101,513

4,459

378,690

Additions

–

102,605

–

–

–

102,605

Revaluation adjustment

–

–

–

5,000

–

5,000

Depreciation expense

(57,807)

(46,086)

(11,499)

–

(588)

(115,980)

Write down Assets to Recoverable Amount

–

(1,766)

–

–

–

(1,766)

127,767

128,330

2,068

106,513

3,871

368,549

Carrying amount at 1 July 2001

Carrying amount at 30 June 2002

$

10 DEPOSITS, BONDS

Deposits, Bonds

2002 $

2001 $

2,467

–

65,495 600,974 205,925

78,673 582,874 111,529

872,394

773,076

–

5,165

–

5,165

490,992

443,443

490,992

443,443

Number

Number

142

139

142

139

11 CURRENT LIABILITIES – ACCOUNTS PAYABLE Accrued Goods & Services Tax Trade Creditors Accrued Expenses

12 CURRENT LIABILITIES – BORROWINGS Lease Liabilities – secured (Note 14)

13 CURRENT LIABILITIES – EMPLOYEE ENTITLEMENTS Provision for Employee Entitlements

Employee Numbers

Full-time equivalent at reporting date

ACON Annual Report 2002

33

ACONACONA 14 CURRENT LIABILITIES – GRANTS IN ADVANCE 2002 $

2001 $

354,712 33,572 13,640 4,496 11,081 231,342 14,000 25,058 16,275 14,431 183,883 46,414

309,267 15,778 21,077 5,794 – 147,414 6,805 – – 76,711 183,883 1,365

948,904

768,094

Finance Leases capitalised and included in Furniture & Fittings: Lease commitments: - not later than one year - later than one year but not later than five years - later than five

– – –

5,563 – –

Minimum Lease payments

–

5,563

- less future Finance Charges

–

(398)

Total Lease Liability

–

5,165

- less Current Liability

–

(5,165)

–

–

Grants Received in Advance: NSW Department of Health NSW Department of Community Services WorkCover New South Wales NSW Attorney General’s Department Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations Area Health Services NSW Users & AIDS Association NSW Department for Women NSW Department of Urban Affairs Commonwealth Department of Health & Aged Care Catholic Development Fund Other grants

15 BORROWINGS: NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES

16 FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS (a) Credit Risk Exposures The credit risk on financial assets of the Association is the carrying value, net of any provision for doubtful debts. (b) Interest Rate Risk Exposures The Association’s exposure to interest rate risk and the interest rate for each class of financial assets and liabilities are set below.

34

ACON Annual Report 2002

ACONACON Financials

Interest Rate Risk Exposures 2002

Financial Assets: Cash and deposits Receivables Other

Fixed Interest Maturing in: Floating 1 year over 1 Interest Rate or less to 5 years $ $ $

Non-interest bearing $

Total $

1,247,447 – –

1,525,895 – –

– – –

22,499 210,707 2,467

2,795,841 210,707 2,467

1,247,447 Weighted average interest rate 3.47% Financial Liabilities: Trade and other creditors – Grants in advance –

1,525,895 3.96%

–

235,673

3,009,015

– –

– –

872,394 948,904

872,394 948,904

– –

– –

–

1,821,298

1,821,298

1,247,447

1,525,895

–

(1,585,625)

1,187,717

1,626,372 –

542,145 –

– –

15,085 316,246

2,183,602 316,246

1,626,372

542,145

–

331,331

2,499,848

4.55%

4.55%

– – –

– 5,165 –

– – –

773,076 – 768,094

773,076 5,165 768,094

–

5,165 15.9%

–

1,541,170

1,546,335

1,626,372

536,980

-

(1,209,839)

953,513

Weighted average interest rate Net financial assets/ (liabilities)

2001 Financial Assets: Cash and deposits Receivables Weighted average interest rate Financial Liabilities: Trade and other creditors Borrowings Grants in advance Weighted average interest rate Net financial assets/ (liabilities)

2002 $

2001 $

1,187,717

953,513

5,738 368,548 93,807 (490,992)

6,444 378,690 109,663 (443,443)

1,164,818

1,004,867

Reconciliation of Net Financial Assets to Net Assets Net financial assets as above Non-financial assets and liabilities: Inventories Property, plant & equipment Other financial assets Provisions

ACON Annual Report 2002

35

ACONACONA (c)

Net Fair Value of Financial Assets and Liabilities

Financial assets and liabilities comprise cash and borrowings. The net fair value of financial assets and liabilities approximates their carrying value.

17

REMUNERATION OF MEMBERS OF THE BOARD

Members of the Board serve the Association in a voluntary capacity.

Amounts received or due and receivable from the Association and related corporations by members of the Board.

2002 $

2001 $

Nil

Nil

19,750 15,800

19,750 5,000

35,550

24,750

18 REMUNERATION OF AUDITORS Remuneration for audit and review of the Association’s Financial report - PricewaterhouseCoopers Remuneration for other services - PricewaterhouseCoopers

19 SEGMENTS The principal activities of the Association during the year were the provision of health promotion, advocacy and care and support services to people living with HIV/AIDS and the communities affected by HIV/AIDS. The Association operates predominantly in one geographical area, being New South Wales, Australia.

20

SHARE CAPITAL

The Association is incorporated under the Associations Incorporation Act 1984 (NSW) and as such does not have authorised or issued capital.

The liability of a member of the Association to contribute towards the payment of the debts and liabilities of the Association or the costs, charges and expenses of the winding up of the Association is limited to the amount, if any, of unpaid annual fees by the member in respect of membership of the Association.

21

ECONOMIC DEPENDENCY

The major source of funding for the Association is an annual grant from the NSW Health Department. The Association is negotiating a triennial funding agreement with the Department for the period 1 July 2002 to 30 June 2005. Pending finalisation of the funding agreement, the Department continues to provide quarterly funding based on the annualised grant approved for 2001/2002.

22

RELATED PARTIES

There were no transactions with related parties during the year ended 30 June 2002.

23

CHARITABLE FUNDRAISING ACT 1991

The AIDS Council of New South Wales Incorporated was re-issued with an authority to fundraise by the Office of Charities on 4 April 2001.

Information and declarations to be furnished under the Charitable Fundraising Act 1991.

36

ACON Annual Report 2002

ACONACON Financials

(a)

Details of aggregate gross income and total expenses of fundraising appeals 2002 $

2001 $

Gross proceeds from fundraising: Hand-in-Hand Dance Party Red Ribbon World AIDS Day Appeal Mardi Gras Raffle Other including Donations & Sponsorship Total gross proceeds from fundraising

208,357 96,188 5,167 100,369 410,081

259,727 86,786 – 90,520 437,033

less total costs of fundraising Hand-in-Hand Dance Party Red Ribbon World AIDS Day Appeal Mardi Gras Raffle Other Total costs of fundraising

165,991 11,145 404 94,983 272,523

221,292 31,823 – 96,075 349,190

137,558

87,843

Net surplus obtained from fundraising appeals

(b) Forms of fundraising appeals conducted during the period covered by these financial statements were: Dance Party (Hand-in-Hand), Appeals, Raffles, Bingo, Dinners. (c)

Comparative Ratios Ratio Ratio Ratio Ratio

of of of of

costs to gross proceeds net surplus to gross proceeds total cost of services to total expenditure total cost of services to total income

66% 34% 100% 98%

80% 20% 100% 97%

In the view of the Board, all expenses incurred by the AIDS Council of New South Wales Incorporated contribute to the delivery of its programs and services.

24 CONTINGENT LIABILITIES Bank guarantees in respect of office leases, ($8,450) and electronic funds payroll ($150,000) and credit card facility ($6,000) were held at 30 June 2002. No material losses are expected in respect of any of the above contingent liabilities.

25 COMMITMENTS FOR EXPENDITURE LEASE COMMITMENTS Operating Leases Commitments for minimum lease payments in relation to non-cancellable operating leases contracted for at the reporting date but not recognised as liabilities, payable: Within one year Later than one year but not later than 5 years Later than 5 years

77,952 65,712 –

43,072 12,177 –-

26 RESERVES Revaluation Reserve The Revaluation Reserve is used to record increments and decrements on the revaluation of noncurrent assets as described in Note 1(e).

ACON Annual Report 2002

37

ACONACONA Declaration by the Board for the year ended 30 June 2002 The Members of the Board declare that the financial statements and notes set out on pages 22–37: (a) comply with Accounting Standards and other mandatory professional reporting requirements; and (b) give a true and fair view of the Association’s financial position as at 30 June 2002 and of its performance, as represented by the results of its operations and its cash flows, for the financial year ended on that date.

In the Board’s opinion: (a) the financial statements and notes are in accordance with the Associations Incorporation Act 1984 (NSW,) the Charitable Fundraising Act 1991 (NSW) and the Charitable Fundraising Regulations 1993 (NSW); (b) there are reasonable grounds to believe that the Association will be able to pay its debts as and when they become due and payable; (c)

the provisions of the Charitable Fundraising Act 1991 (NSW) and the regulations under this Act and the conditions attached to the authority to fundraise have been complied with; and

(d) the internal controls exercised by the Association are appropriate and effective in accounting for all income received.

This declaration is made in accordance with a resolution of the Board and is signed for and on behalf of the Board by: DATED AT SYDNEY THIS TWENTY FIFTH DAY OF OCTOBER 2002

ADRIAN LOVNEY President

38

ACON Annual Report 2002

RACHEL PEPPER Vice-President

ACONACON Financials

Independent Audit Report to the Members of the Board of the AIDS Council of New South Wales Inc. Audit Opinion

In our opinion, except for the effects on the financial report of such adjustments as might have been determined to be necessary had the limitation on our audit procedures referred to in the qualification paragraph below not existed: 1

2 3

4

the financial report, set out on pages 22-37: – presents a true and fair view of the financial position of the AIDS Council of New South Wales Incorporated (ACON) as at 30 June 2002 and of its performance for the year ended on that date – is presented in accordance with Accounting Standards and other mandatory professional reporting requirements in Australia – presents a true and fair view as required by the Charitable Fundraising Act 1991 (NSW) of the financial result of fundraising appeals for the financial year ended 30 June 2002 the accounts and associated financial records have been properly kept in accordance with the Charitable Fundraising Act 1991 (NSW) and the Charitable Fundraising Regulations 1993 (NSW) during the financial year ended 30 June 2002 money received as a result of fundraising appeals conducted by ACON during the financial year ended 30 June 2002 had been properly accounted for and applied in accordance with the Charitable Fundraising Act 1991 (NSW) and the Charitable Fundraising Regulations 1993 (NSW); and there are reasonable grounds to believe that ACON will be able to pay its debts as and when they fall due.

This opinion must be read in conjunction with the following explanation of the qualification, scope and summary of our role as auditor.

Qualification Cash from donations and other fundraising activities are a significant source of revenue for ACON. The members of the board have determined that it is impracticable to establish control over the collection of revenue from these sources prior to entry into its financial records. Accordingly, as the evidence available to us regarding revenue from cash donations and other fundraising activities was limited, our audit procedures with respect to revenue from these sources had to be restricted to the amounts recorded in the company’s financial records. As a result, we are unable to express an opinion as to whether revenue from cash donations and other fundraising activities is complete.

Scope and summary of our role The financial report – responsibility and content The preparation of the financial report for the year ended 30 June 2002 is the responsibility of the members of the board of ACON. It includes the financial statements for ACON.

The auditor’s role and work We conducted an independent audit of the financial report in order to express an opinion on it to the members of the board of ACON. Our role was to conduct the audit in accordance with Australian Auditing Standards to provide reasonable assurance as to whether the financial report is free of material misstatement. Our audit did not involve an analysis of the prudence of business decisions made by the members of the board or management.

In conducting the audit, we carried out a number of procedures to assess whether in all material respects the financial report presents fairly a view in accordance with Accounting Standards and other mandatory professional reporting requirements in Australia, and the Charitable Fundraising Act 1991 (NSW) and the Charitable Fundraising Regulations 1993 (NSW), which is consistent with our understanding of ACON’s financial position, its performance as represented by the results of its operations and cash flows, and the financial result of its fundraising appeals.

The procedures included: • selecting and examining evidence, on a test basis, to support amounts and disclosures in the financial report. This included testing, as required by auditing standards, certain internal controls, transactions and individual items. We did not examine every item of available evidence • evaluating the accounting policies applied and significant accounting estimates made by the directors in their preparation of the financial report • obtaining written confirmation regarding material representations made to us in connection with the audit • reviewing the overall presentation of information in the financial report.

Our audit opinion was formed on the basis of these procedures.

Independence As auditor, we are required to be independent of ACON and free of interests which could be incompatible with integrity and objectivity. In respect of this engagement, we followed the independence requirements set out by The Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia and the Auditing and Assurance Standards Board.

PricewaterhouseCoopers (Chartered Accountants) 25 October 2002, Sydney

WD McCluskey (Partner)

ACON Annual Report 2002

39

CONTACTS ACON – Central Office 9 Commonwealth Street Surry Hills NSW 2010 Tel. 9206 2000 Fax. 9206 2069 Email. acon@acon.org.au Internet. www.acon.org.au ABN 84 633 910 355

CFN: 15214

ACON HUNTER

ACON WESTERN SYDNEY

129 Maitland Road, Islington 2296

6 Darcy Road, Wentworthville 2145

Tel. 4927 6808 Fax. 4927 6485 Email. hunter@acon.org.au

ACON NORTHERN RIVERS 27 Uralba Street, Lismore 2480 Tel. 6622 1555 Fax. 6622 1520 Email. northernrivers@acon.org.au

ACON MID NORTH COAST OUTREACH

Tel. 9204 2400 Fax. 9891 2088 Email. aconwest@acon.org.au

ACON/CSN GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY Governor Phillip Hospital, Ross Wing Building Cnr Springfield and Glebe Streets, Penrith 2751

Suite 7&8, 66 Clarence Street, Port Macquarie 2444

Tel. 4734 3877 Fax. 4734 3865 Email. csn-westsyd@acon.org.au

Tel. 6584 0943 Fax. 6583 3810 Email. mnc@acon.org.au

ACON ILLAWARRA

SWOP SEX WORKERS’ OUTREACH PROJECT

Resource Centre 26 Belmore Street Wollongong 2500

69 Abercrombie Street, Chippendale 2008

Tel. 4226 1238 Fax. 4226 9838 Email. Illawarra@acon.org.au

Tel. 9319 4866 Fax. 9310 4262 Freecall. 1800 622 902 Email. info@swop.org.au

Care and Support Services 1/6 Kenny Street, Wollongong 2500

WAY OUT

Tel. 4226 1163 Fax. 4226 9838 Email. Illawarra@acon.org.au

Young Men’s Sexual Health Program ACON/FPA Health Project The Warehouse, 13 Reserve Street, Penrith 2750 Tel. 4721 8330 Fax. 4731 6787 Email. way_out@fpahealth.org.au

40

ACON Annual Report 2002

POSITIVE LIVING CENTRE (PLC) 703 Bourke Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010 Tel. 9699 8756 Fax. 9699 8956 Email. plc@acon.org.au